Page 73 of Wilde Abandon
He glanced at Melody.“Because I didn’t grow up with her.”
“Oh.Right.You were a foster kid.”
He gave her an I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-it look and sipped his beer, hoping she dropped it.
Amy put her hand on his shoulder.“I’m really sorry.That must have been really…hard.”
He shook off her hand and didn’t care that she frowned at his rejection of her unwanted touch.
Melody slid her hand up his arm and squeezed.“I’ll go with you tomorrow if you’d like.”
“I’d love that.”He pulled his arm back, so he could take her hand.“And we’re having dinner with your folks, right?”
She nodded.“The whole gang actually, so be prepared for us to be the center of attention.”The gleam in her eyes said he should be prepared for a lot of questions about his intention toward her.
Not a problem to assure her family he cared deeply for his Melody.
“I get it,” Amy said.Her obliviousness to the undercurrents had to be an act.“Families are complicated.My parents left me to my own devices most of the time, too busy with their own stuff to pay much attention to what I was doing.It sucked.All they want for me is to find a good guy and settle down.”
“Is that what you want?”Melody asked her.
“Yes.I want someone to take care of me.”
Melody frowned.“What’s your dream guy like?”
Amy’s gaze shifted to Fox, then back to Melody.“Handsome.Smart.Hardworking.A guy who goes after what he wants.Someone who’s his own boss.A guy who’s sexy and charming.Stable.And makes a better than good living.I’m tired of scraping by.”
Melody nodded.“Sounds like you and I like the same kind of man.Except for that last part about the money.I can make my own.I don’t need someone else’s.”
“Says someone who’s obviously never missed their rent or couldn’t afford anything more than ramen noodles at more than one time in their life.”
“Nope.Not me.I bust my ass to make sure I have what I need.The things I want…sometimes those things have to wait until I can afford them.”
“But don’t you want nice things?”
“I have nice things.My family’s support.Good friends who always have my back and love to hang out.A boyfriend who treats me like I matter more than anything.”
“You do.”And Fox was loving hearing her say that what mattered most to her was the people in her life.Not a bunch of stuff.
She squeezed his hand.“I’ll add Dean and Max to that list of friends.”
“They both love you.”They loved seeing Fox happy with her.
Melody glanced at Amy.“I’m surprised, based on what you’re looking for in a guy, you haven’t made a move on Dean.”
Like Dean would go for Amy.But Fox understood Melody pointing out that Dean was single, while he was taken, so it made more sense for her to hit on him.
Amy shrugged.“He’s nice and all, but he seems a little hard to get to know.”
“Once you do, he’s a great guy,” Melody encouraged.
Fox didn’t think Dean was interested in Amy at all.She was too in-your-face.Plus, like him, Dean didn’t date people who worked for them.Just not a good move.Things could get complicated.
Like right now.
How did he end up having dinner with his employee and his girlfriend?
Shari finally arrived with their food.